APC criticizes Atiku’s protest against extending cash exchange deadline

Speaking out against the extension of the deadline for exchanging Naira notes, the presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress has described People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as an enemy of Nigerians.

Bayo Onanuga, director, media and publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council made the statement in a statement on Friday.

Recall that while responding to the agitation for extension of the deadline, the PDP presidential candidate had said, “There should be no further postponement of the new naira regime beyond the 10 February deadline.”

He further argued that “the CBN and the presidency must stand firm. The merits of the new naira policy far outweigh the minor inconvenience we are experiencing.”

Onanuga claimed in the statement that the PDP presidential candidate, who he said rejected the agony experienced by Nigerians in banks, said “Little discomfort”, was unconcerned about the plight of the people he is trying to rule.

Onanuga further claimed that the PDP presidential candidate was collaborating with those he described as economic saboteurs, “and fifth columnists among the money savings bank operators and oil traders who caused the current impasse to push the outcome of the February 25 presidential election in favor of the former vice president, our candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, courageously pitched his tent to the poor masses who have been most adversely affected by the antics of these evildoers.

The statement read in part: “This poorly executed policy has left Nigerians destitute because they cannot access their own money in their bank accounts. People cannot get money to send their children to school or to pay for daily needs in convenience stores, fruit stores, including buying newspapers. Transactions on marketplaces have plummeted.

“The CBN governor provided insight into the nature of the problem when he revealed in Daura last Sunday that of the N3.3 trillion in circulation, only N500 billion is in bank vaults. So far only N1.9 trillion had been received by the banks for swap.

“But people are not getting the new banknotes to spend, causing the huge anger in the country against Emefiele.

“We therefore find it ludicrous that a man who joined the call for extension of the deadline last week should defend a new campaign against further extension, because he thinks the suffering of Nigerians will serve his own political purpose at all costs to make President to become.

Atiku harshly said, “There should be no further delay of the new naira regime beyond the February 10 deadline.

Anchoring his objection on the wrong ground, he went on to say: “The CBN and the Presidency must stand firm. The merits of the new naira policy far outweigh the minor inconvenience we are experiencing.”

“Dismissing our people’s suffering as a ‘little inconvenience’ only makes Atiku come across as a political leader disconnected from the Nigerian people he wants to rule. Sure, living comfortably in Dubai for years has robbed Atiku of all empathy.

“This is a man who wants to be president and would not mind presiding over the graves of Nigerians as long as his outrageous ambition materializes in line with the prophecy of his marabouts.

“It is crystal clear to any conscientious Nigerian that Atiku Abubakar and PDP mean no good to our country. PDP and Atiku have become desperados wishing the country disaster as long as it wins elections they are destined to lose, spectacularly.

“Atiku is now public enemy number one in Nigeria. He is evil personified and must be rejected at the ballot box on February 25.

“If Atiku Abubakar has a warm heart for the poor people of our country, like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the PDP candidate will not advocate compliance with a policy that has become too much of a burden for our people.”

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